Jan 15, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards center Daniel Gafford (21) reacts during the game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day against the Detroit Pistons at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Former Wizards Center Earns Extension with Mavericks

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 12:00 PM ET

With over a year of retrospect, the Daniel Gafford looks like a win for all involved.

The Washington Wizards decided to trade the veteran center as one of the few members of the 2024-25 team with any value to the rest of the league, a shot-blocking, rim-running play finisher who'd further thrive with a good point guard to feed him lobs.

While the Wizards went on to spend the late-first round pick they got for him on Kyshawn George , Gafford helped the Dallas Mavericks make the NBA Finals in his fragmented first season with the team, and finally got a big extension to stay in Texas long-term a year later.

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford intends to sign a three-year contract extension worth nearly $60 million, sources tell ESPN. Mavericks officials and Gafford's agents, Mike George and Shy Saee of Klutch Sports, negotiated the new deal through 2028-29. pic.twitter.com/KinN3vFri6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2025

Gafford's stock was never higher than when he had Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving sharing a back court, two of the best passers and ball-handlers in the league to constantly keep Gafford and Dereck Lively II involved as athletic lob threats.

Even after Dallas management made the sudden choice to send Doncic packing in the middle of the season, they still seem willing to keep some of their role players around while presumed-first overall pick Cooper Flagg attempts to bride the gap between eras of Mavericks basketball.

This extension nets Gafford $60 million to stay with the Mavs, adding three more years to his current contract that's set to expire after this upcoming season. Dallas gets to keep its enormous big man rotation of Gafford, Lively and Anthony Davis, and the former Wizard gets more money on a per-year basis than he's ever seen.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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